I’ve never been a fan of the red stripe on the helmet. It was first used in the 1976 season to go along with the nation’s bi-centennial celebration.
The Cowboys in 1976 were coming off their great 1975 season where they had played in SB X, losing 21-17 to the Steelers. Expectations were high. The Cowboys went 11-3 that year and were favorites to win the SB. But….we lost to the rams in the divisional round in an upset. That loss motivated the team though. They went on to win the SB the next year…without the red stripe.
To illustrate how dominant the Cowboys were in the 70s, they played in 7 NFC championship games that decade, winning 5. 1976 was one of only 3 seasons-‘74, 76 and ‘79 where they did not play for the NFC championship.